More MVP Semantics

Apologies if I'm stealing some of Steve's thunder (though to be fair, I started the madness), I want to draw focus on the 2006 MVP race. As Steve was trying to flesh out with hypothetical candidates based on single-game scenarios, I believe looking at the top 8 MVP finishers in 2006 can set the table for a good ideological conversation of what should constitute an MVP. It was a close race that year consisting of several good and diverse candidates under a variety of circumstances.

1) Justin Morneau: Had impressive, Jim Rice-esque numbers in the three Triple Crown categories: .320, 34, 130; played solid defense at 1B, and was the main run producer on a small market team that won its division for the fourth time in five years. On the flipside, his 140 OPS+, good for just 8th best in the league, was not particularly impressive for a supposedly MVP caliber 1Bman, and he quite possibly wasn't even the most vaulable player on his own team.

2) Derek Jeter: A veteran stalwart with one of the finest seasons of his career, putting up pretty impressive Triple Crown stats for a SS: .344, 14, 97, narrowly missing out on a batting title, plus 34 stolen bases. I believe that if Jeter knocked in 3 more runs he would have won the award as some voters would have been swayed by a shiny 100 RBI. His 132 OPS+ was much more impressive for a SS than Morneau's 140 at 1B. The Yankees won their 8th consecutive division title and made their 12th straight postseason. However, Jeter's defense was much maligned, and he was surrounded by a great team that vastly outspent everyone else. Also hurting Jeter is an apparent inability by the BBWAA to adjust offensive expectations for middle infielders and catchers (though, Jimmy Rollins and Dustin Pedroia did win in the following two years, respectively).

3) David Ortiz: The lovable big guy on those lovable Red Sox. Ortiz had what at that point was the best season of his career, posting .287, 54, 137. He led the league in both homeruns and RBI, something that impresses voters, and set the Sox all time homerun record, surpassing the great Jimmie Foxx. His OPS+ was a pretty impressive 161, good for 3rd in the league. However, Ortiz was a fulltime DH and was so because of a total inability to play passable defense. His team also slumped to 3rd place, missing the playoffs for the first time in 4 years, and he had to share his team's centerpiece mantle with another prolific slugger.

4) Frank Thomas: The former two-time MVP had been a shell of himself for much of the previous 5 years, as injuries limited him to just one healthy and productive season. He had also just been cast aside by the only team he ever played for, the defending champion White Sox. The old Frank Thomas then re-emerged with the A's, fueling the low budget team back to the postseason after missing the previous two years. His triple crown stats were fairly robust at .270, 39, 114. However, like David Ortiz, Thomas was a full time DH, and while he was the unquestioned offensive centerpiece of his team, his raw stats plus his 140 OPS+ couldn't match the numbers of the likes of others in this conversation, especially when positional adjustments are made. A 140 OPS+ from a DH is not particularly MVP noteworthy.

5) Jermaine Dye: Dye had been a good player for several years, but this was his career year. Like Morneau, Dye had prodigious-looking Triple Crown stats across the board: .315, 44, 120, placing in the league's top 5 in the latter two categories, while playing solid and strong-armed defense in RF. His 151 OPS+ was also in the top 5. However, after winning the World Series, his team regressed to third place (though still managed to win 90 games), and Dye had to share the spotlight with two other and more familiar sluggers.

6) Joe Mauer: This was Mauer's breakout year. For a catcher, he put up impressive Triple Crown numbers: .347, 13, 84, and became the the first AL catcher ever to lead the league in hitting. His 144 OPS+ was very impressive for a catcher as well. He also played strong defense and was a key component of a small market team that was finding ways to stay competitive. However, like Jeter, he played a position in which writers historically have difficulty appreciating offensive contributions, and was overshadowed by the more prodigious raw numbers put up by teammate, Justin Morneau.

7) Johan Santana: Santana was unquestionably the best pitcher in the league, winning the pitching Triple Crown with a 19-6 record, 2.77 ERA, and 245 strikeouts. He also led the league in IP with 233.2, in ERA+ at 161, and WHIP at 0.997, en route to winning his second Cy Young Award. Santana was terrific in 2006, but it raises the question of whether a pitcher should be eligible for the MVP Award (they already have the Cy Young) and if so, how special of a season does a pitcher need to win?

8) Travis Hafner: Hafner was quite possibly the best hitter in the league from 2004-2006, and perhaps also one of the league's best kept secrets. In 2006, he led the AL in OPS+ at 179, and had a commanding 14 point lead over anyone else (Manny Ramirez being second). Hafner's Triple Crown stats were also impressive: .308, 42, 117. However, despite being the most productive hitter of all in this group, he, like Ortiz and Thomas, suffered from being a full time DH, as well as playing on a 4th place, sub-.500 team. To make matters worse, big things were expected from his team after narrowly missing the playoffs the previous year.

With such a great diversity of top candidates, and all with very different circumstances, who best fits the profile of what an MVP should be?